Creative writing in english course from home (distance learning/correspondence)

Qs. I am a housewife. I want to pursue something creative from home. I have tried my hand at writing. How can I develop my skills? How much scope does it have?

Ans: If you have some samples of your writing, you could approach magazines and newspapers to find out if they would like to use the same. In most cases, unsolicited articles are a wasted effort.

It would be more productive to make the effort to talk to someone in the office of the publication directly or through a contact/ acquaintance and set up a meeting. You could also send some of your pieces for relevant competitions.

There is scope for expanding your skills by trying out something new. You can participate in creative writing workshops. If you pursue writing with the sole intention of making easy money, you would be setting yourself up for disappointment.

There is scope for writing if you are prepared to explore a variety of subjects for
which you could do your research in your own time from home, through libraries, the Internet etc. The main reason for becoming a writer should be that writing is what you love to do more than anything else. Once you get into the groove of a freelance writer you may not earn a lot of money, but you can enjoy variety and if you are prolific, actually earn a satisfactory amount.

If you have other skills you are more confident about, whether it is crafts, art, design, cooking or teaching, you could also explore the possibility of taking up such work from home.